Abstract 3621: 3D spatial sampling and integrated omics reveal sources and patterning of intratumoral heterogeneity in glioblastoma
Authors: Radhika Mathur, Qixuan Wang, Patrick Schupp, Ana Nikolic, Takafumi Yamaguchi, Stephanie Hilz, Chibo Hong, Ivan Smirnov, Marisa LaFontaine, Joanna Phillips, Susan Chang, Yan Li, Janine Lupo, Paul Boutros, Marco Gallo, Michael Oldham, Feng Yue, Joseph Costello
Journal: Cancer Research (2022)

Abstract Treatment failure in glioblastoma, the most common and lethal primary brain tumor in adults, is often attributed to intratumoral heterogeneity as it fosters tumor evolution and selection of resistant clones. Sources of intratumoral heterogeneity may include genomic alterations, such as single-nucleotide and structural variants, and epigenomic alterations, such as changes in chromatin structure and transcriptional regulation. The relative extent and functional significance of these contributors to intratumoral heterogeneity in glioblastoma have yet to be elucidated. In collaboration with neurosurgeons and neuro-imaging experts, we have established a novel approach towards characterizing intratumoral heterogeneity in three-dimensional (3D) space. For patients undergoing tumor resection, we utilize 3D surgical neuronavigation to safely acquire ~10 samples representing maximal anatomical diversity. Samples are mapped by 3D spatial coordinates and integrated with patient MRI scans for 360º visualization of sample location in context of the brain. We have now conducted whole-exome sequencing (Exome-Seq), assay for transposase-accessible chromatin (ATAC-Seq), and RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) for 83 spatially mapped samples obtained from 8 patients with primary IDH-WT glioblastoma. Integrative data analysis provides unprecedented insight into sources of intratumoral heterogeneity in glioblastoma and their 3D spatial patterning. We find that tumor cells show aberrant transcription factor activity, activation of fetal brain programs, and variable chromatin accessibility at CTCF-binding loop anchors indicating plasticity in higher-order chromatin structure. Chromosome conformation capture analysis by Hi-C extends these findings and reveals intratumoral differences in long-range chromatin interactions due to structural variants and enhancer hijacking. Further, we use deconvolution to identify microenvironmental contributors to epigenomic intratumoral heterogeneity including neural, glial, and immune populations. We define chromatin signatures associated with microenvironmental cell types and states, revealing their 3D spatial patterning, and validate these findings by single-cell ATAC-Seq. Our work thus establishes both tumor and microenvironmental sources of intratumoral heterogeneity in glioblastoma, revealing their chromatin programs and 3D spatial patterning. As a resource for further investigation, we have developed an interactive data sharing platform that enables visualization of brain tumor intratumoral heterogeneity in 360 degrees. Citation Format: Radhika Mathur, Qixuan Wang, Patrick Schupp, Ana Nikolic, Takafumi Yamaguchi, Stephanie Hilz, Chibo Hong, Ivan Smirnov, Marisa LaFontaine, Joanna Phillips, Susan Chang, Yan Li, Janine Lupo, Paul Boutros, Marco Gallo, Michael Oldham, Feng Yue, Joseph Costello. 3D spatial sampling and integrated omics reveal sources and patterning of intratumoral heterogeneity in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3621.